Confederate Major Shannon, who had been a prisoner of war in the Federal hands and received kind treatment, as a mark of his gratitude for that treatment, asked for and received permission to take care of private baggage of the command, and prevent unruly men of Magruder’s force from despoiling it. This was not an easy matter to do, but the major succeeded in his purpose; the baggage was properly delivered in a few days to the prisoners at Houston. The officers’ swords were passed over to the provost-marshal at Houston, properly marked, to be returned when the owners were paroled or exchanged. They never were seen again.
About nine o’clock arms had been stacked, knapsacks slung, and the Forty-Second detachment marched from the wharf, passing between lines of General Magruder’s force drawn up in the streets of Galveston, and proceeded to some empty houses in the suburbs, where the men remained until one o’clock in the afternoon. The captured crew of the Harriet Lane joined them during the forenoon.
As the troops marched from the wharf Commander Law returned. When Adjutant Davis asked him what was going to be done, he replied: “The Harriet Lane is captured, Wainwright dead, and the fleet will proceed to sea immediately.” Orders were sent to the little schooner Corypheus for the captain to scuttle her and take his men on board some of the remaining vessels; but he asked permission to set sail, and did so, saving her. With truce flags flying, the gunboats proceeded to sea. The Clifton lead, followed by the Owasco, then the Corypheus, and last was the Sachem, whose commander, by diligent work during the action, had patched up her boilers and got steam started.
Renshaw sent the Westfield’s crew on board transports Saxon and Mary Boardman, and a slow-match was applied to a train of powder leading to her magazine. As no explosion took place at the expected time, he went back in a row-boat with Lieutenant Zimmerman, Engineer Green, two quartermasters, four firemen and five sailors. As Renshaw was about coming over her side into the row-boat again, a premature explosion took place. The Westfield fell to pieces, and not a vestige of the boat’s occupants was ever seen again. This was about ten o’clock A.M. Her guns were afterwards recovered by the enemy, and placed in battery to protect the harbor from another visit by Federal vessels. News of Renshaw’s death reached Law when the Clifton was half-way towards the bar, placing him in command of the navy, and that officer concluded to proceed at once to New Orleans, abandoning the blockade from fear of an attack by the Harriet Lane, although an officer on board the Mary Boardman informed him another transport-vessel would be down in forty-eight hours, and ought to be warned. In the race for New Orleans the Mary Boardman reached the city first, followed next day by the Clifton, and afterwards the Saxon and Honduras.
The following account of how the Westfield was destroyed is taken from a letter written by William L. Burt, aide-de-camp to General Hamilton, to Major-General Banks. Major Burt was on board transport Mary A. Boardman, lying at anchor near the flag-ship Westfield: “Captain Law had an interview with Commander Renshaw. Our vessel, the Mary Boardman, was then alongside the Westfield, having endeavored to haul her off. As soon as Captain Law left for his own vessel Commander Renshaw sent an officer to us saying, that he was going to blow up the Westfield, and requesting us to assist in taking off her men and whatever could be saved. I remonstrated with this officer, that it was unnecessary, and that the whole force could lie by and protect the Westfield until the tide turned (which was then running out), when she would float, and we could save her, and as she was heavily armed and of light draught she was invaluable. I also requested the commander to come on board. This remonstrance was repeated to every officer that came to my vessel with men. We received on board the men and their baggage, with property of the ship, until our decks would hold no more, and the rest was placed on the transport Saxon.
“At about ten A.M., while the commander’s boat and crew and second cutter and crew were at the Westfield to receive the last men, the commander, having poured turpentine over the forward magazine and just over where she was aground, set her on fire with his own hand. He stepped down into his boat, in which were Lieutenant Zimmerman, Chief-Engineer Green, and two oarsmen. The magazine immediately exploded, tearing the bow of the vessel open and blowing her to pieces to the water’s edge and back to the smoke-stack. After the explosion no living thing could be seen. She did not sink, being aground; her guns aft, which were double-shotted and run out, as the flames should reach them, threatened us, at the short distance we were from her, with destruction, which might have been foreseen when she was fired.
“Acting Sailing-Master Smalley took charge of us as pilot, and we started for the bar. It was evident that we could not get over with what we had on board, and we threw overboard everything on deck except what belonged to the men of the Westfield. We went over the bar, striking very heavily, followed by the Saxon, two small schooners, the Clifton, Owasco and Sachem, gunboats, leaving the Harriet Lane in the hands of the rebels, with two barks loaded with coal, and one small schooner.”
The behavior of Colonel Burrell is spoken of in the highest terms by officers and men who were under him. He walked the wharf during the entire time the action continued, with shot and shell flying around in unpleasant proximity. While risking his own life in this manner, in order to be able to observe all that was taking place, he kept his men under shelter as much as possible. They rose to their feet from behind the breastwork only when ready to fire on the enemy.
All of the officers are entitled to credit for their gallant conduct under the trying circumstances of this their first fight. Gallant Captain Sherive especially showed marked courage and bravery.
The men, as a whole, behaved like veterans; not that there was no quivering—there was; but no display of childish fear took place. Every order given was obeyed with marked promptitude, and in such a manner to show that they stood to their duty like men.